A systems approach to direct payments: a response to ‘Friend or foe? Towards a critical assessment of direct payments’

Abstract

Spandler (2004) identifies the need to move from reactionary to progressive arguments about direct payments in the UK to enable progress towards a critical assessment of direct payments to users of care services. This reply advocates a strategic view of direct payments within the social care system, by looking at the context within which direct payments operate and system issues that affect the whole social care sector. The discussion advances the hypothesis that critical assessment of direct payments needs to recognize their impact on the whole social care sector and not just on those people who elect to receive them.

Keywords

community care service development strategic planning user satisfaction

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Carmichael, A. and Brown, L. (2002) ‘The Future Challenge for Direct Payments’ , Disability & Society 17(7): 797-808 .

Christie, I. , Batten, L. and Knight, J. (2000) Committed to Inclusion? The Leonard Cheshire Social Exclusion Report 2000. London: Leonard Cheshire .

Department of Health (2002) Local Authority Circular: Fair Access to Care Services Guidance on Eligibility Criteria for Adult Social Care. London: Stationery Office .

Knight, J. , Heaven, C. and Christie, I. (2002) Inclusive Citizenship: The Leonard Cheshire Social Exclusion Report 2002. London: Leonard Cheshire .

O’Brien, J. and O’Brien, L. (1999) The Politics of Person Centred Planning. Lithonia, GA: Responsive Systems Associates .

Pearson, C. (2000) ‘Money Talks? Competing Discourses in the Implementation of Direct Payments’ , Critical Social Policy 20(4): 459-477 .

Spandler, H. (2004) ‘Friend or Foe? Towards a Critical Assessment of Direct Payments’ , Critical Social Policy 24(2): 187-209 .

Stainton, T. (2002) ‘Taking Rights Structurally: Disability, Rights and Social Worker Responses to Direct Payments’ , British Journal of Social Work 32: 751-763 .